Abstract:

Milking robots have been launched on Latvian dairy farms only recently. As the technology differs essentially from that of traditional milking, with the introduction of new technology a range of questions has arisen that have not been topical before. For instance, there has been uncertainty about determining the optimal size of the group of milk cows for robots as well as about planning the robot location and the waiting box.

On installing robots in reconstructed barns, it came out that it was not possible to stick to the designs offered by the companies, and after milking the cows were not sent to the barns but back to the waiting box. As a result, the milked cows had a chance to visit the robots repeatedly. Therefore, a question arose – how much does the repeated visiting of robots influence the effective load.

Moreover, there has been uncertainty about the correct location for the robot in relation to the waiting box using several robots. It was observed that usually in such a case one robot is visited more than the other.

The present research tries to answer these recurring questions. The research results showed that the optimal size of the group of cows served by one robot depends on the average milking time and the time necessary for washing the milk line. If the cows return to the waiting box after milking, the effective load of the robot decreases. The location of the robot in the waiting box in relation to the entrance gate essentially influences the number of visiting one or the other robot per day.